1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a process for pretreating a carpet with an insecticide during the carpet manufacturing and/or dyeing process and, more particularly, to a carpet pretreatment process which is incorporated into the carpet manufacturing and/or dyeing process to produce a carpet which is capable of controlling insects through action upon the insect larvae.
2. Prior Art
Approximately half of the households in America have a pet, usually either a dog or cat. Most of these animals, at some point, will become infested with fleas, usually the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, and/or the dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis. Fleas consume the animal's blood and cause irritation at the site of the bite, but their most devastating effect is on the immune system. When a flea bites, it injects a small amount of protein to keep blood from coagulating as it draws blood up through its proboscis. The host animal often develops an allergy to this foreign protein. The immune system reacts to cause an extreme and continuous itching sensation at the site of the bite.
The diagnostic signs exhibited by an animal with flea allergy are the result of the animal's reaction to this itching. They may lick and bite at the site of the flea bite until they remove the hair and denude the skin, leaving an area that is raw and bleeding. Over a period of weeks, the entire rear half of the animal may be denuded of hair, leaving the skin raw in some places and thickened in others. The animal may be in constant discomfort, and may develop an aggressive change in personality. Thus far, there are no cures for allergic conditions. Relief from the itching usually involves treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs available only from a licensed veterinarian. Over a period of time, these drugs can cause undesirable side effects to the health of the animal.
Fleas brought into the house by pets also may be detrimental to the health of the family of the owner. These fleas prefer to feed on dogs or cats but will feed on the owner if the pet is not readily available. They not only become an irritant, but are the intermediate host of a dog tapeworm that also can infect the family of the owner.
Floor carpets provide an excellent environment for the propagation of fleas. The temperature and humidity within the home is ideal, the pet provides a food supply, and the fibers of the carpet provide the protection from both physical damage and sunlight. Once a flea population is established in the carpet, it is very difficult to eliminate. Efforts may include sprays, dust, aerosol bombs containing insecticides, growth inhibitors and the shampooing of the carpet. These efforts may help but often they are expensive, troublesome, odorific and seldom entirely successful. Even when some degree of control is obtained, the animals go outside, gather up a new crop of fleas, bring them into the home and the cycle starts all over again.
Consequently, flea control in the home has become a billion dollar a year business. Drug stores, supermarkets, and pet stores carry many flea control products. The reason there are so many is that none of them work well on carpet. The carpet not only is an excellent environment for growing fleas, but the carpet fibers also tend to protect the flea from insecticides by either covering the insect or soaking up so much of the insecticide that the flea survives. Shampooing the carpet only is marginally effective even if all furniture is removed and every carpet in the house is shampooed.
Like all insects, the flea has a four stage life cycle. Female fleas on the animal lay eggs, stage one, which fall to the carpeted floor and hatch into larvae, stage two. These larvae are very sensitive to light and make their way as deeply into the carpet as possible. In about two weeks the larvae spin cocoons, stage three, and in another two weeks they are ready to hatch into adults, stage four, anytime a potential blood meal comes within striking distance. The life cycle is accelerated by increased heat and humidity or slowed with coolness and dry air. The egg and cocoon, or pupa, are well protected by their covering shell and very resistant to environmental changes or control methods. The adult flea is susceptible to insecticides but the other stages living in the carpet usually develop faster than control methods can eliminate the adults from the animal. The larvae seems to be the most susceptible stage around which to develop a successful flea control program.
Carpets also may harbor pests that are of even greater public health significance than fleas. Almost twenty percent of the American population suffer from allergies. Many of these allergies have a bacterial, fungal, or dust mite component that may be growing in the home carpet.
It is generally known in the insecticide industry that certain boron-containing compounds can be used as insecticides. Borates have the unique characteristic of being cellular toxins to insects, such as flea larvae, yet remaining relatively non-toxic to humans and other mammalian species. The scientific literature also indicates that borates have potential in helping to control bacteria, fungus, and mites. The following patents generally illustrate the use of boron-containing compounds as insecticides.
Baden, U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,699, discloses a post-installation combination insecticidal and carpet cleaning treatment which consists of adding four to eight ounces of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate to each gallon of cleaning solution (approximately 3.125%-6.25% solution). The combination is applied to a carpet through a common carpet shampooing device for providing flea control. D'Orazio, U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,798, teaches an outdoor termite control compound which utilizes boron compounds selected from colemanite, ulexite and calcium boride in mixtures sufficient to kill termites without creating bait shyness. Bechgaard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,881, discloses a wood treatment compound which consists of mixing a boron-rich compound in a liquid carrier and applying the mixture to a porous substrate, such as timber, to protect it from attack from insects or fungi. Page, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,188, discloses the use of borax to kill insects, such as cockroaches. Granirer, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,930, discloses an insecticide using compositions comprised of various mixtures of eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint and boric acid with pyrethrum, rotenone, or both, to kill insects, such as cockroaches.
Although the use of certain boron-containing compounds to kill insects and certain types of fungi is generally known, the present invention proposes using a unique combination of boric acid and disodium tetraborate decahydrate (borax) in an aqueous solvent which, before the present invention, apparently was not known to be useful for killing insects, and controlling the growth of bacteria and fungi. The composition is applied to the carpet during the carpet manufacturing process. The composition can be applied to the carpet backing or to the backing and fibers of the carpet, and can be applied during the dyeing or final treatment processes. The composition operates as an insecticide to kill flea larvae which end up in the carpet. Moreover, the process of the present invention is a pretreatment process wherein the carpet backing is treated during the carpet manufacturing process. The prior art does not teach or suggest such a pretreatment process.
The general idea of injecting an insecticide into a substrate or into fibers is known. For example, Plischke, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,063, teaches incorporating an antiflea agent, such as d-limonen, which is a terpine, into filaments which are processed into yarn for making textile fabrics and carpets. Pera, U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,488, discloses the incorporation of agents into synthetic fibers and the release of the agents from within the fibers as the agent on the surface of the fibers dissipates. Ronning, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,982, discloses self-adhering an insect control agent to a rough-surfaced fiber which may be incorporated into webs, sheets, mats, and fabrics. Perdelwitz, Jr., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,930, discloses producing a pet pad by incorporating an insecticide into a mixture of thermoplastic and other fibers prior to thermobonding so that the insecticide is fixed in the pad during thermobonding. Starowitz, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,367, discloses an animal mat comprised of a top and a bottom layer of biodegradable paper and an intermediate layer of cellulose material. Small packages of insect killing powder can be incorporated into the construction of the mat for killing insects.
Therefore, it can be seen from the foregoing discussion that it is generally known to incorporate an insecticide into raw fibers and other materials. As stated above, it is also generally known to use boron compounds to kill insects. However, the present invention utilizes a mixture of borax and boric acid in an aqueous solution wherein up to 3.125% of the solution represents the boric acid/borax combination. None of the prior art teaches or suggests the use of such a mixture as an insecticide for pretreating carpets prior to distribution. Unlike prior processes, the insecticide of the present invention is applied during a pretreatment process which occurs during the manufacturing of the carpet.